Why Babar Azam's potential return as Pakistan Captain is related to the new PCB Chairman?

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Pakistan Cricket Board had a major turnover in administration as Mohsin Naqvi was elected as PCB President on Tuesday (February 6).

And as the new management shapes up, we can expect fresh changes in the Pakistan cricket team.

Babar Azam relinquished captaincy after the conclusion of the ICC World Cup 2023 in India. Pakistan failed to make it to the semifinals and could only manage four wins in the tournament. Following the disappointing campaign, Babar stepped down amid huge pressure.

Then PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf confirmed that the player himself wanted to step down from all formats captaincy as the Test captaincy was still in his grasp.

"I had asked Babar Azam to continue as skipper in Test cricket but he told me that he will speak to his family members before taking any decision. However, he went to his manager, who told him to leave the captaincy from all formats," Zaka Ashraf said.

Shan Masood was appointed as the Test captain but Pakistan have failed miserably in the latest Test series against Australia, where they were white washed 3-0. With the T20 World Cup on the horizon, Shaheen Afridi is likely to lead the Greens in that format, but a change in Test captaincy is on the cards.

Babar Azam to captain in Tests and ODIs for Pakistan?

There is still no official ODI captain of Pakistan as after Babar Azam's departure, no captain in the format was announced. There can be a possible change in Test captaincy and the coveted better can again be back with his old role of leading the team. And in that case, there is a good chance that Babar may captain them in both Test and ODI formats.

Shaheen Afridi's first assignment as captain of the T20 team was not good either as New Zealand demolished Pakistan 4-1 in the T20I series, but the left-arm pacer may retain his captaincy till the World Cup.

Why Babar Azam may come back as Pakistan's Captain?

Babar Azam is the best one to lead the Pakistani side at the moment. Shan Masood is not being deemed as a leadership material and hence the baton may return to Babar's hand soon. Babar currently is playing in all formats of the game and given his pedigree as a player, the captaincy change towards him may be a positive influx for the team.

Also, Babar and Mohsin Naqvi both hail from the Punjab province in Pakistan. Naqvi is also the Chief Minister of Punjab, and that can also play a part in the decision of Babar's potential return as captain. Naqvi is likely to change the things and Babar Azam can be a safe bet for the newly elected PCB chairman.